"You could've just gone to work. Why'd you come with us then? Are you stupid or something?" Denji goaded, slowly manifesting a sly look, holding his chin skeptically. Then, raising an apprehensive eyebrow in realization—as if he had caught someone eating the last cookie from a cookie jar. "Oh, wait—! Could it be that you're also lookin' for a feel?"

Kancho slowly turned his head, staring in feigned disbelief after the remark. "... You must think that I'm pretty stupid, huh? Do you honestly think I'm crazy enough to leave you two alone? Unsupervised?"

"Er…" Denji then took a moment to contemplate his friend's reaction. "... Yes?"

"Oh, so I should be letting you morons go out by yourselves, then? Outside? In public? Yeah, sure. Whatever you say."

'Asshole/Cullion.'

Although harsh, his words rang true. It was a fact: All would be punished if even one was caught out of order. Kancho knew Power and Denji didn't care about the risks, keeping their minds focused on the reward.

'Surrounded by idiots… And that damn Aki hasn't been around to watch us either… probably just 'cuz he's just hoping we kill each other by now!' Kancho thought, imagining Aki with a grotesque smile upon seeing their downfall; surprisingly, Denji had felt the same, although it was about Aki intending to keep Makima all for himself.

"Hey! I ain't some damn kid needing a parent or something!" Denji argued, getting a little annoyed at Kancho's second reply.

"Shut up and let me think…" Kancho sighed, pinching his nose somewhat. "Wait, hold on—why'd we even come here again?"

"Oh, well, Power said she couldn't even go out on her own," Denji answered, sideways glancing at the Fiend for confirmation. "Isn't that what you said, right?"

"Nay, forced to idly while my time away in here. I can depart whensoever I desire, obviously," Power claimed, flipping her hair in the air. "They merely seemed so pitiful when they begged I'd have some company with me on my journey, so I—the Almighty and Merciful Power—graciously obliged."

"... We're fucked."

Two Hours

Transit was astronomically slow, but there was transition nonetheless; the three spent most of their short trip in silence. Kancho kept himself across from the other two, watching closely for any hints of conflict. Thankfully, by a grace of good fortune, the two actually kept to themselves pretty well, ignoring each other while also keeping relatively quiet, save for some grunts and glares. Though, to be honest with himself, Kancho was starting to get a little fidgety as there was nobody else on the trolley beside the trio of them.

"So…" he began, breaking the silence. "Do you happen to know where this cat of yours is? Or are we gonna be searchin' around Tokyo 'til we happen to stumble upon it?"

"However long it takes, man," Denji answered, making a quick glance at Power's chest. "I'm getting my boobie reward no matter what."

"Ah," Kancho then went into a recluse, tilting his hat down over his eyes. 'And there goes the conversation.'

"Fools, I obviously know the dwelling place of Meowy's catnapper!" Power stated before pointing at the two teens. "My concern is that only you two can fight it."

"Hm?" Denji interjected. "Say what?"

"Yeah, can't you make an arsenal out of your blood?" Kancho mentioned, knowing it was stupid for her to opt out of the upcoming fight. "And besides that, I seem to recall you having a thing for going apeshit whenever there's something blood-related, and that includes fighting shit, by the way."

"Naif, the second its bulbous eyes gaze upon me, alas, the cat becomes a fluffy shield. And once that transpires, all is lost. A checkmate in every way."

'And if it sees us…?' Kancho was rather confused; it wouldn't matter if she were seen or not since if Devil had seen him and Denji instead, it would surely use Meowy as a shield anyway.

"Uh-huh…."

"I had a pet too. This Devil named Pochita," Denji said, trying to make some small talk.

"Hm?" Power hummed, seeming intrigued by this announcement. "Ah, yes… Brownie also said you had a cat named 'Ono' did you not?"

"Eh? Hell no," Denji corrected. "If you can believe it, he was actually a spray can, "

"Ohh…" she mouthed while nodding, then turning to Kancho. "Are you perhaps lonely? Do you need your brother to hug you?"

"He's not my brother—and I'm not lonely!" Kancho asserted. "But yes, Ono was a spray can, a sentient one, to be precise. A Devil. And I clearly said he acted like a cat."

"Hoh?" Power piqued, placing an inquisitive hand upon her chin. "Could he be the source of your bloodied scent?"

"Maybe," Kancho replied and shrugged, a little unsure as he hadn't any idea how he himself smelled at all. "I mean, he did blow me a lot at times."

"Wha?! Ewww! That's really gross!" Power gasped, repulsing in utter disgust. "Gay! He's gay! Gay!"

"Hahaha!" Denji laughed, pointing at his friend. "Nice one, idiot!"

"FUCK—GOD DAMN IT! That's not what I meant at all!"

"Haaa… Well, anyway, even though it's really sad we can't ever see them again," Denji started, patting his heart with a small grin. "They're alive inside us!"

"Phrasing, Denji!" Kancho reminded, wanting to clear their names of any perversions.

"Yep, right in our—!"

"Bah!" Power dismissed, thinking that it was ridiculous; their friends were unmistakenly deceased by the downright sound of it. "How foolish you humans are."

"Huh…?"

"That means thy pets have died, does it not? Death is the absence of life," Power persisted. "'They're in my heart' or whatever—that's a pathetic consultation!"

"Hey! That's—" Denji was ready to start another fight with her again but was abruptly stopped by a lone, outstretched arm.

"It may sound like a consultation or whatever, but it's completely true," Kancho countered, lightly tapping the back of his head using a free hand. "I heard my Devil speak to me before attacking a Muscle Devil before."

"Huuh?! Ono spoke to you?!" Denji exclaimed while suddenly feeling the need to grab at his head. "But… why hasn't Pochita spoken to me yet then? Hello? Pochita? Can you hear me?"

"Maybe cuz he's in your heart and not your brain," Kancho reminded, showing Denji his head's trigger and pointing at Denji's chest, causing the blond to slump back in his seat in dejection. "Don't worry, dude, I'm sure he's listening. We spoke to them before they technically… left, ya remember?"

"... You think so?" Denji earnestly asked, gaining a small nod from Kancho, although he was a little hesitant. He then blushed a little in excitement; his friend may still be with him yet. "A-Alright—that's also cool with me then!"

"Verily, I remain greatly skeptical of it," Power sighed, dismissing them once more. "Evidently, I see it fit to say it once again, cease this endeavor to appease your consciences with further falsehoods. It's sickening."

"Well, we don't care about what you think!" Denji retorted while Kancho merely shrugged her off and returned to an open resting position; he didn't mind too much; she probably didn't know the truth of the matter anyway. Denji had thought the same, too, although a little more fervently.

"Whatever you say, Pow—"

"Mrrow?" A familiar voice; it was definitely in their midst.

"Wauh?" Kancho turned and—to his left—it was none other than the cat he had fed the day beforehand. "You again…?"

"Meow~" It yawned, climbing atop Kancho's lap, folding itself into a loaf. "Prrr~"

'Did this cat follow us or something?' He wondered, petting it lightly across its back; the purrs got a little louder. 'Or could it have just been following me?'

"It seems he favors you. How quaint," Power remarked sarcastically while crossing her arms. "Though, from his tastes in masters, it speaks volumes… That one definitely does not surpass my Meowy in the least."

"'He?'" Kancho said, lifting the cat to check for his 'item.' "Huh, whaddya know? This cat really is 'him."

"Obviously."

"How did you know though, exactly?" Denji questioned before furrowing his brows in suspicion. "Wait… don't tell me you are one of those 'animal o' philes….'"

"Not the right word either…" Kancho sighed, looking back at the cat. "Well, let's just get this straight cuz I'm not claiming you."

"Mrrow~?"

"... But if we meet again, I will promise you a name or food, okay?"

"Oh~ What name shall you anoint thee, Brownie?" Power asked.

"Ugh, please don't tell me you actually are bringing that thing back to the house?" Denji protested.

"I only said if we meet again. I'm not a cat person, Denji, you know this," Kancho reminded, referencing the countless times he had preferred spending with Pochita rather than Ono. "Can't stand 'em. Remind me too much of 'him,' you know?"

"Mrrow?"

"You aren't an exception."

"Meow…."

"... Yet."

X

Makima stood before a council of Public Safety officials, enduring a debrief and lecture over the most recent and relevant events of date. Though, Makima believed there were more pressing matters she could attend to, especially the one regarding him. Regardless, she permitted them to continue speaking; it wouldn't do for her to be so riled up by the mere prattle of old men.

"The Soviet War Hawks are getting louder over the American matter. We're also hearing rumors that they're using Devils for military purposes," a man with glasses described, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he went on. "We can only pray that the Devils remain Japan's only enemies…."

"Makima… are the dogs in the squad we gave you coming along?" Another piqued.

"I have two dogs that are promising… and one that's interesting…."

An official then tapped his pen on a piece of paper. "Elaborate. Who is this one that you speak of?"

"He is a puppy I recently took in. That is all," Makima finished, maintaining her usual smile throughout.

The man wrote down her answer on his document. Once he looked back up, however, his eyes met her spine-chilling gaze, causing him to shrink down and grimace in disgust immediately.

"Your job is to train dogs and use them. Be sure not to get attached."

X

Makima had left the meeting with a sour taste in her mouth, and, to remedy this, she made sure during her drive back to get herself a warm and relatively tasty coffee. Aki became her driver this time around, more than willing to oblige.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You seem troubled," Makima remarked, looking at Aki who was gripping the steering wheel rather tightly.

"Denji is disgusting," Aki answered. "The only thing remotely interesting about him is his association with that other one, but even then, he's still got nothing interesting about him."

"..."

"... Why do you have such high hopes for him?" Aki asked, making a turn into the next lane.

Makima remained silent for a few seconds, not answering until after she took a long sip from her drink: Lukewarm.

"All Devils are born with a name. Not a single Devil in existence was born nameless," Makima replied, staring out her window. "The more the world fears that name, the more powerful the Devil itself," she then held the coffee before her. "Take this, for example. Coffee has no scary mental image whatsoever. Therefore, if a Coffee Devil existed, it would probably be weak."

Aki peeked in his rearview mirror; she's told him about the statement before, but why was she telling him this again? "... Yes?"

"On the other hand… what if there was a Car Devil? That conjures up the mental image of getting run over and dying, so that might be strong," Makima supposed. "Denji, however, can turn into part Devil. The Chainsaw Devil, at that."

They remained silent for another few seconds; Makima then went for another sip of her coffee. "I really do think that's interesting."

"... Then, what about that Kancho guy?" Aki asked out of nowhere. "I still haven't seen his Devil yet."

"Oh, yes, I am also somewhat intrigued by him, especially because he is an AXE Devil," she smiled for a moment. "The AXE Devil. Even saying it puts a smile on my face."

"Excuse me? The spray brand?" Aki was understandably confused; apart from those already known to exist, he had never heard of such a preposterous concept: Fear of a Shitty Deodorant. "That would mean he's incredibly weak. I find it hard to think that anyone can be afraid of such a nonsensical—"

"That's the issue I'm having, though, because it appears that he isn't weak at all," she knew what Kancho did in the forest; it was a spectacle to witness firsthand. "It's quite funny. It makes me wonder just how many people in the world are secretly afraid of deodorants."

"Fine, but they're interesting and funny but nothing more. They're useless," Aki remarked, firmly unmoving in his beliefs; conversations with Denji or Kancho seldom lasted more than two minutes at best. "Only people with goals or convictions serve in Public Safety, but those two? All they said they wanted to do was to live an easy life. They aren't fit for Public Safety."

Instantly, the loafing blond he had to the displeasure of seeing every morning popped into his mind, causing him to scowl deeply. "Not to mention that Denji fellow thinks you can actually try and become friends with Devils. They're still brats. Just some damn brats..."

Thirty Minutes

"We're pretty far out in the countryside," Kancho commented, walking out of the bus as the door shut behind him; the vehicle departed thereafter. There was a lack of trees and wildlife, an area flat and empty, save for a single house that sat near above a cliff, seemingly vacant. "Is that the place?"

"Mhm! 'Tis that house! Meowy and the Devil are in there!" Power pointed out.

"Huuuh… then let's get our butts over there," Denji said, placing his tomahawk over his shoulder and moving ahead with Kancho by his side.

They walked unhurriedly, even though they were technically about to fight a Devil. An unknown one, at that. Kancho was probably the most cautious of the three, as seen by the slouchy yet defensive manner in which he walked.

"Man, I don't really wanna go all chainsaw on it cuz I'll faint…." Denji complained. "Wanna go before me and soften the guy up?"

His brown-haired buddy kept a blank countenance. Denji supposed the question was a tad bit offensive. 'This wasn't even my idea, but you're still sending me to do your dirty work?' Fortunately for Kancho, it appeared that his expression was all that was needed to inform Denji of his answer.

"'Go chainsaws?'" Power wondered what he meant by that light-hearted joke.

"Yeah, I can turn into chainsaws!" Denji answered, pointing at himself for emphasis. "So can Kancho, but he turns into a—"

"Sigh… Human jests leave much to be desired…."

The trio was getting closer to the house's exact location, only a few more feet before they reached it to commence the rescue operation; but then, unexpectedly, Denji realized something about Power's story right as they were walking. "Huh…"

"Something up?" Kancho asked, gripping the kodachi by his side. "Can you sense anything weird? Like a Devil?"

"Yes, what is it?" Power also questioned.

"Isn't it gonna use your cat as a hostage if you show up? You can't come this close with us, right?"

"Ohh? 'Twas that the story?" Power pondered; and upon hearing this, Kancho and Denji stopped in their tracks.

Slowly peeking behind, they noticed that Power was now dual wielding both a knife and a mallet made of her own blood.

"A mere slip of the tongue, oops."

The three didn't utter a word but knew exactly what was gonna happen next. "HAAA—" Kancho pulled his kodachi out from its scabbard, but Power had already made it for him first, stabbing him in the stomach.

And as he fell toward the ground, she twisted her body around—so fast that it managed to dodge Denji's slash, allowing her to get close enough to whack him over the head with her blood mallet; he only stumbled for a few moments before also dropping like a sack of potatoes.

It was quite a severe head injury, so much so that it instantly caused him to lose consciousness. "Ugn…"

"S-She… got—" Kancho spit a heap of blood out of his mouth; the pain felt very familiar, mainly since it was in the exact spot he was stabbed when he got betrayed by his former 'employer.' "F-Fuhh…"

The two were now bleeding intensely from their injuries, unable to move or fight back. Power took this opportunity to begin dragging the two across the blood-stained dirt trail, smiling to herself at how her deception had paid off. "Despite your dull minds, you both had decent intuition," she remarked, shutting the door as she brought them in.

Kancho felt his body go numb—neither his arms nor legs could move a muscle—and on top of that, he could sense someone hiding within the darkness as he was pulled deeper into the house. "Wh-Who—"

"You made me wait quite some time, Blood Devil…" Uttered a booming voice, displaying itself as supremely arrogant. "I thought you'd turn tail and flee…"

"Spare me your complaints! I had to wait that long till I could finally earn my freedom!" Power said, dropping her part of the deal before the Devil.

Kancho then turned his body as best he could and saw a massive shadow staring down at him with a pair of blackened pupils and a grinning smile.

"See? I brought you a human, just as you wished, even going as far as to bring another!"

The behemoth came out from the shadows and showed itself; it was a bat—a giant one, at that. "A Bat D-Devil…?" Kancho muttered, blinking his eyes to try and wake up from this nightmare he found himself in. 'I think I'm hallucinating… God, my head really fuckin' hurts…'

"Ahhh~ my first meal in so long!" The Bat Devil bellowed, grinning wider as it picked up the brown-haired boy's still-aching body. "Oh, a pair of young males, eh…? Looks like I'll get to drink blood brimming with life force!" However, as he was getting a whiff of his meal, he started flashing his eyes in surprise; something about this one made him a little hesitant, for some reason. 'Hm, there's a smell here that's quite peculiar… quite an ominous odor, I must say...'

"GAH!" It squeezed Kancho's body tremendously, causing more blood to come rushing out of his mouth and breaking most of the bones around his chest region.

"You… p-prick—" Kancho made a pathetic attempt at escaping, only to be squeezed once again by the giant's hand. "GAUGH—!"

"You should avoid moving," Power advised, earning a side glare from him in response. "Fool, you'll only make it worse, but go ahead. Like I care."

"Ugh…"

"Look at my arm, humans! Your pathetic kind did this to me!" The Bat Devil shouted as he revealed his lost right arm. "This infernal wound forced me to hide my grand self!"

"Like we care, idiot…" Denji spouted, trying to get up but only to keel over onto his side. "N-Now l-let him go!"

"Yeah… y-you're a fuckin' piece of shit," Kancho added, spitting some blood in the face of the Bat Devil, even when his eyes felt like they were about to pop.

"My meal barks back at me?! Haha, foolish!" He then began to feed on Kancho, compressing him until blood was pouring down his monstrous throat. "Humans carved this wound upon me… SO I'LL HEAL IT WITH HUMAN BLOOD!"

"GYAAAAAAH!" Kancho screamed in excruciating pain as if his veins were bursting all at once.

"B-bastard!" Denji yelled. "Leave him alone!"

"HRN?! Y-YOU ARE REMARKABLY DELICIOUS! A GOURMET MEAL!" The Bat Devil shouted, squeezing Kancho some more. "I SHALL SAVOR YOUR FLAVORSOME BLOOD GRACIOUSLY! GAHAHA!"

"FUUUAACCKK!" Kancho screamed, frantically trying to get away from the beast that got him in his clutches. "C-UH—"

The Devil then threw Kancho away to the side as his arm began regenerating rapidly. "NOW I'VE GONE AND REGENERATED!" He declared, punching through the ceiling and standing atop the roof. "HOHO! I'VE NEVER FELT THIS AMOUNT OF POWER BEFORE, I FEEL LIKE I CAN DO ANYTHING!"

Kancho looked up and saw as the scene played out; Power was looking up at the bigger Devil expectantly and Denji was still riling in extreme torment; things were bad, he had to move.

But, not only that, the Devil that had feasted upon him started to look different. Its hairy skin began to become more prevalent and its body more robust. Its teeth were now much more numerous and its claws followed all the same.

'W-Why does he look stronger?!' Kancho thought with a grimace. 'Did my fucking blood do this?!'

"I-I MUST HAVE MORE HUMANS! HAHAHAHA!" The Bat Devil announced, laughing maniacally. "FAHAHAHAHA!"

'G-God… I can't feel anything from down my neck no more…' Kancho moaned, only able to move his eyes which were only fixated on Power's figure basking in the light. 'What the hell is she doing…'

Power looked at the two as they were on the ground; there was no pity, no sense of sympathy or empathy in Power's fiendish eyes—all she wanted was her cat. "I can't believe you two took my story for truth. Humans really are foolish creatures."

"... We were tryin' to help you, bastard…" Denji groaned, flipping himself onto his stomach and crawling toward the light. "K-Kancho? Are you still there?"

"D-Denji…" Kancho coughed out blood, peeking over at Denji; his eyes were wide, and mixed emotions of shock and rage were visible on his friend's face. "G-G…."

Meanwhile, the monster above was busy searching for humans, audibly describing exactly what he was planning. "HMMM… THE SMELL OF CIGARETTES… MAKE-UP… AND MEDICINE—HUH? OH, NOW THAT'S NOT A BAD SMELL! I'VE SETTLED ON CHILDREN TO CLEANSE MY PALATE!" He said, licking his lips in delight.

Upon hearing this, Kancho was starting actually to lose it. 'Did he say… No, no. I can't let him do that,' Frantically, he made even more efforts in trying to move toward his push-button; it was neigh impossible; he was in far too much pain.

"BAT DEVIL!" Power called out, requesting his immediate attention; she did what he asked for, and now it was time for her payment. "I brought you a human as promised! Now give Meowy back!"

"Hrrm?" The Devil took a moment to 'recall' his deal with the female right before taking a small cage into his right hand; it was Meowy, a cat with brown hair around its ears and on top of its forehead while white all over the rest. "Ah, yes… was that the deal?"

'What the hell is he planning…?' Kancho wondered, feeling something about to go terribly wrong. 'H-Hey… Stop that…'

"Mroww!" Meowy sounded, noticing that her owner was below.

"Meowy!" Power called, sweating a little in fear for her cat's safety. "Give her, now!"

"But… I still haven't punished you for bringing me disgusting blood, have I?"

Then, in mere seconds. "MROW—!" And Meowy was gone; in one loud cry and one loud gulp.

'Huh…' Kancho lay frozen, his eyes darting back and forth between the chaotic scene before him. With each blink, his heart rate quickened, and he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. 'W-Why'd he do that?'

"Meowy…" Power uttered distantly; Meowy was dead. She turned her head, looking over to Denji and Kancho. "… Hey."

The air was thick with tension, and the two grounded humans couldn't shake the feeling that they were about to witness something else catastrophic. "You said you can't pet your animals anymore…" A black hand was now picking her up. "'Tis an awful feeling."

Kancho, staring blankly, saw that the Bat Devil had grabbed her as well, putting Power in his mouth before swallowing her whole. 'He ate her, too,' he realized, feeling his heart rate begin to rise.

"Bah! Disgusting! Nothing but disgusting blood! Grrngh!" The Devil said, disappointed before looking at his nearly-dead reviver. "I shall return for you one day, human, for you have such a satisfying taste! Keep marinating for me will you? Gahahah!"

"Y-You…" As Kancho lay there, his gaze fixed upon the Bat Devil's retreating form, he couldn't find the words to express the whirlwind of emotions churning within him. The rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins during the battle was now subsiding, leaving a profound sense of exhaustion and despair.

And, as his eyes began to close, he could see Denji, foolishly limping toward the monster's leg before grabbing onto it with his teeth as it soared high into the sky.

In his view, the Bat Devil started to vanish from sight, taking Denji with it.

Alone with his thoughts and pain, Kancho closed his eyes, surrendering himself to the moment's stillness. The weight of his physical and emotional wounds bore down upon him like a heavy burden.

Past Four Years

"Ono, I told you, already… I won't look for a Devil for you to kill just because you're bored…" Kancho's weary voice filled the air; his frustration with Ono's constant pestering was palpable. The AXE Devil had a penchant for seeking out danger, always looking for the next thrill, regardless of the consequences.

"COME ONNNNN! I'M DYING OF BOREDOM OVER HERE!" Ono whined, rolling off the table he was on to meet his contractor's attention. "POCHITA AND DENJI LEFT, SO I HAVE NOTHING TO DO!"

Kancho peeked at the Devil momentarily and shifted uncomfortably, feeling the rough floorboards of the shared shack beneath him, his shirtless form baring to the world.

"Uh-huh…" Kancho asked, sounding disinterested as he flipped to another page. "Your point?"

"WHAT I'M SAYIN' IS LET'S GO DO SOMETHING FUN! FIGHTING DEVILS IS FUN, RIGHT?! LET'S DO THAT!" Ono requested again. "BESIDE, THAT MAGAZINE ISN'T ENTERTAINING! I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR EYES! IT'S JUST SOME WAY TO AVOID ME!"

Kancho looked again at his Devil and frowned. "Sigh…" The peace he sought was fleeting, as Ono continued to pester him, his restlessness driving him to new heights of irritation. Kancho groaned again, the weight of his exhaustion bearing down upon him like a heavy burden.

Then, with a deep breath, Kancho set aside the magazine and turned to face Ono, his eyes burning with a quiet intensity. "Listen to me, my friend," he said, his voice low but firm. "There is more to life than chasing after Devils. We must find our purpose and calling and pursue it with all the passion and determination we can muster. Only then will we find true fulfillment."

"..."

"..."

"... MOTHERFUCKER, WHAT DID YOU READ JUST NOW?"

Ono's swift and determined movements, rolling closer to Kancho, fixed on the stolen magazine held tightly in the boy's grip. Kancho pulled the magazine away in an instant as if to hide the truth; he, in fact, read a quote in the magazine.

"PFFT, UN-FUCKING-BELIEVABLE—"

Then, right as Ono was about to begin another one of his rants, the door opened. "K-Kancho! Please!" It was Denji, appearing visibly distraught ."Help me!"

"Eh? What's up, dude? You look pretty wrecked—"

"It's Pochita! I've lost him!"

"Wha—"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?! W-W-WHAT HAPPENED?!" Ono yelled, louder than usual.

'W-We fell asleep after we found a pile of food near a dumpster… we ate so much that we passed out from being so full… but then, when I woke up, Pochita was gone!" Denji started to shake his arms uncontrollably, sweating up a storm. "G-Guys! Please, he could be hurt or something!"

"Calm down, man. Look, I promise you it's all gonna be fine, alright? We'll help you find him in no time—"

"OH, THANK YOUUUU!" Denji then grabbed Kancho's wrist and started to pull him out the doorway. "LET'S GO FIND HIM, NOW!"

"WAIT, WAIT—CAN I AT LEAST GET A SHIRT ON?!"

"THE BOY'S RIGHT! WE GO NOW! MY FRIEND COULD BE IN DANGER!" Ono remarked, flying himself into Kancho's pocket as they left on a rescue mission.

Eight Hours

As the hours dragged on and Pochita remained missing, Kancho began to pick up on the subtle signs of distress in his companions. Denji's eyes were puffy and red, as if he were on the verge of tears, and Ono's "body" language seemed tense and agitated as if he were ready to tear apart the entire forest they found themselves in.

"Gah…" Kancho stumbled and gasped, feeling the weight of exhaustion bearing down on him. "S-Should we take a break?" he suggested, his voice strained.

"NO!" Ono cried, exploding angrily from the pocket of Kancho's pants. "PSSSSSHHHHH—" A flush of steam then came from out his nozzle. "AH?! I SMELL HIM! POCHITAAAAAAAAAA, IS THAT YOUUUU?!"

Denji's head peaked up and looked to Ono for guidance; the diminutive Devil obliged by spraying in the direction of the scent. "P-POCHITA!"

Kancho got up and followed, feeling a sense of deja vu as they arrived back at their shabby shack; the door was slightly ajar. "... H-How did w-we get back here?" he muttered in disbelief.

"PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHH—" Ono was undeterred, emitting another burst of steam as he honed in on Pochita's scent. "HE'S IN THERE, I CAN SMELL HIM!"

Kancho rushed inside, and there he found Pochita and Denji, sleeping peacefully side by side on the floor: tears in their eyes, but out of happiness rather than dread. A wave of relief washed over Kancho, and he sank to his knees beside his companions.

"YEAHHH! WE FOUND 'EM!" Ono cheered, reveling this moment of quiet victory, a triumph over the uncertainties and dangers of their search. "WOOOHOOO!"

"Quiet down, will ya…?" Kancho, meanwhile, gently shushed the Devil and went up and touched Pochita's soft fur, feeling the warmth radiating from his small, orange body. Denji stirred slightly but did not wake up, so Kancho just sat there in silence, basking in the comfort of their presence. "Man… they really are close aren't they?"

Ono's cheers began to fade as he sensed the moment's solemnity. He quietly floated over to Kancho's shoulder and looked down at the sleeping pair, his excitement tempered by a newfound reverence for the bond between human and Devil.

"YEAH…" Ono whispered, his voice only somewhat audible. "THEY BECAME SO RELIEVED THAT THEY FELL ASLEEP TOGETHER RIGHT ON THE SPOT."

Kancho nodded, lost in thought as he stroked Pochita's fur. For a moment, all was still and peaceful in the little shack; the only sound was the low breathing of the two creatures sleeping on the floor.

"I gotta admit, that tracking you did with was really helpful in finding Pochita, so thanks," Kancho began. "But… is that one of your abilities or is it just something that all you Devils possess?"

Ono perked up at Kancho's words, glad to be recognized for his skills. "IT'S AN ABILITY, ALRIGHT. BUT YEAH, IT'S VERY COMMON, ALTHOUGH SOME ARE BETTER AT IT THAN OTHERS."

"And you?" Kancho asked.

"MMMMM, LET'S JUST SAY I CAN DETECT DEVILS AND THEIR LOCATIONS FROM A PRETTY FAR DISTANCE," he explained proudly.

Kancho nodded. "Huh. That's pretty impressive."

"PRETTY COOL, RIGHT?"

"Mhm, I guess," Kancho agreed, not wanting to inflate his Devil's ego any further.

"AH, WELL, NOW YOU KNOW," Ono said, seeming a bit sly. "IF YOU EVER NEED MY HELP TRACKING DOWN A DEVIL, JUST GIVE ME A CALL. I'LL SNIFF 'EM OUT!"

"..."

There was a moment of silence; he couldn't decide whether to be grateful or concerned.

"... Uh, what else can you do?"

Present Day

Kancho lay still on the ground, his body bleeding and immobile as if he were at death's door. Yet, a cat emerged from the shadows, pouncing on his body, and began kneading him, hoping to wake him up; it was the cat from before. However, the feline's attention soon turned to something odd: a button at the back of Kancho's head, once concealed under his signature hat, was now discarded outside among the rubble.

"Meow..." The cat sniffed the button curiously, its inquisitive nature aroused. "Mow~"

Meanwhile, the distant and bustling city echoed with a low rumble, a sound that could only come from a violent and deadly battle.

Distressed by the noise, the cat looked back at Kancho and made a move toward the button. With a firm press, a few moments passed before Kancho's body seemed to resurrect. He remained motionless for several moments before rising to his feet and stepping outside, his eyes fixed on a singular objective.

Kancho searched for something peculiar, his intent unknown, and the curious feline followed him with great interest. "Mrrow~?"

"̶̞̓'̷̪̆T̶̨́H̴̤̽I̵̢͌S̷̟̀.̸̮̄'̷͍͝"̸̨͗

At last, Kancho seemed to have found what he was seeking: a tree. He struck it a few times, as if in frustration, before surrendering and hitting his trigger. A surge of emerald gas engulfed the area, enshrouding him in a cloud of mist as he focused on the object of his search, piercing it with irises adorned with two upward triangles, surrounded by yellow and red.

As the mist cleared, Kancho emerged, yet his body transformed beyond former recognition. Under his shirt, it would appear as if his muscles were more defined, while his head had twisted into its demonic form, just as it had before. He attacked the tree again, pounding it with one-handed blows until he punched a hole with his right fist and—after waiting a few seconds—extracted something from within.

Without hesitation, he turned and charged towards the source of the rumbling, brandishing an Ono; the traditional Japanese war axe. But in the blink of an eye, his stride turned into a sprint, his speed nearly matching or even surpassing that of Power's.

"̷̨̖̬͔̥̪̈̈̀&̸̧̩͍̪̀̈́̈́͗͘ͅḦ̵͙͎͖͈͔̬̽J̴̭̔T̷̥̗̘͎̬́͂́̎̈͠U̶̘̍̒̓͛P̴̢͇̠̩̠͐̒͑͂S̶̛͙̠͍͑̍̇̌͝Š̴̘̯͒̐S̷̪̋̑͛̕̕̚P̷̱̝̬̀̂P̸̲̓̉̀Ṣ̵̙̪͖̐̈͑͛̀S̴̨̧̘̼̑S̸̛̯͚̭͙̃͂̂S̴̛͖͉͌̕H̶̹̜̤̤̄͊͗̅́̊H̶͙̩̟̝̏͘͠͝H̵͓̖̰̠̖̅͗H̵̙̙̲̳͗͒Ỵ̸̝̫̜̭̩͈͑̌̚%̸̨̘̺̗̺͕͑̌́(̷̤̱̲̃̒͛#̴̙̺̻̮̫̔̏̄̔́̕^̶̼̥̰̪͍͖̓̅Y̴̙̾͋̑͆ͅB̶̬͗̓̾̕ͅ)̵̹̆̇K̷͙̾͘Ġ̵̨͎͚̥̝̽̈̓̕͠(̷̙̖͍̣͉̪͆̒́̎̐H̸̢̥̭̟̦̊͗͊͝J̷̥͍̞̻̉̿͘#̵̬̼̟̪̔̀T̷̥̬̬̰̒͗͊͊̉^̷̨̢̟͔̀̏͐̈̃T̶̨̞̤̗̘͍́̅͑͘J̸̟̋͒͌̽Ḩ̸̦̐*̴̩̰͓̤̂̚͜(̸͍̄͂T̵͕̜͍̟͒̔͆̓^̷̙̼̜̘͗̿̕Ẏ̴͇̪̳̈́ͅU̸̢̜̮͎͍͇̅*̴̧̨̛̝̺̈́̑P̶̺̲͉̔̉̏͜Q̶̛̰̞̗̥̼̈́̓#̸̭̘̌̕%̸̪͇̬̠͇̋́̈́͝N̶̜̺̹̾̈́̽͜(̷̙͉̭̍M̸͔̠̂́͆͊Ṇ̶̫͚̄̑̃ͅ)̸̙̞̋́̒͊̈́%̶̳̺̜̥̘͚̇̏&̶̼̈͘$̵͖̻͒̓̂͠^̴̼͂Í̵̞̥̲͌̇̍̔Û̶̡̼̣̪͛̍͋̌G̸̛̗̩̬̙͖̟̀̋̑̈́͝Y̵̻̍̾͌#̶̛͉̃̋̒̃͠R̴͔̤̪̀͛̈́̊Ṫ̷͕̤ ̷̨̢͎͚̯̫̈̔̂͑͊^̸͙̱͎̲̐̄̕Ȗ̵̝̞͇̤͐̊͝ͅJ̵̳͋͋%̸̧̲͈̗͓͑̐͗Y̶̗̑̓̽̈́͛Ű̸̺͙̫͖̮̀̓͐͐&̷̙̹̬̝͛͑̈̑̈̈́ͅḦ̷̖̩̞͚̪̋͑̏ͅJ̵̮͕̻̤̙̽T̴͙̪͚͙̟̈́́̆̚U̸͈̳̎Ỵ̶̧̫̰͒͑͗̌͆͝%̷̪̳̫͉̍͘͝͝(̵̨̧̰̝̩́͒̄̂͝#̴̨̧̛̪̩͈͈̇͗̌̀̔^̴̦̤̾͒͘Ÿ̸̡͎́̍̀̚B̸̧̛̼̯̲͓͖́͒̈́̅͂)̴͇̏K̷̮͚̬͘G̴̠̈́͌̃̐͠(̴̦͚̯̱̎̋H̷̗̯͑̾͗̀͠J̷̧̙͕͇̗͙̀́͋̀#̸̡̡͇̘̜̯́̂̇̂̕͝T̴̫̈́̈́̀^̵͈̟̰͉̫̍̎̏̍̿͘ͅT̸̡͔͔̓̃̑̓̀̏J̸͕̍̓Ḩ̸̳͚̗͉̙̩͌̅̑͋͝*̷̺̟̞̜̓͊̅(̶͔̓̀T̷͍̲̖̹̯͑̔^̸̨̪͉̭̕P̶̪̤̂̌̾̽̕͜͝S̶͈̣̲̜̈́͒̈͠Ḩ̵̲͓͍̝͆̽͑̾͐̚S̷̨̗̭͌̉͛ͅḨ̸̈̃͛H̴͖͎̲̐̂Ś̴̢̛̯͋̾͊͆H̷̝̩̥̝͠S̷̱̲̞̼̍̓́̈̚ͅH̵̼̦̄͆͊̀̾̊H̷̛̗̾̌̉̂̀S̶̨͔̙̜͇̾̆̾̚͝H̷̫̋̒̀Y̵̢̲̬̰̞͆͗̓͗͒͒U̷̢͎͇̎̂̋*̴̪̰̦̭̀͠P̴̭̲̙̱̀̇Q̸̨̛͚̥͉̰̾͋͒̚#̶͔̈̃̉̈́͐̉%̸̢̥̙͓̣͈̇̑̿͘N̶̩̪̦͑̔̉̑̊͜(̸̙̔͌͌M̸̧̧̪͍̺̐́N̶̠͈̙͉͙̏̇)̴͈̙̲̳̦̇̍̇͌͘%̶̟̮̱̰̤̦̍̉͗͗̋͊&̴̨̦̗̈$̸̗̥̥͛̚^̵̨̧̙̰͉͖͊̅͐́̕Í̸͓̬̾̌̈̈́Ũ̸̹̊̋͗̐̓G̶̮̞̍͐Y̷͖̦̥̖͔̞̎#̶̙͙͎̙̟̆̐͗̚R̷͚͒T̶̢̤̑́̓̇͠ ̸͕͈̀͋^̸̧̥͙̠̽̏͋̌Ȗ̶̙͈̔̍̕J̷̟̝̅̈͝%̶̢̘͋̄̿̾Ÿ̴̧̢͖́U̷̢̺̫̟̰̗̕&̷̝̹̗̟͎̲̎̑͒Ḧ̷̫̐̎̂̔̋J̸̪̬͠T̸̡̠́͆̃̀̀̆Ú̸̦̠͇̙̐͑̋Ỵ̷̧̪̉̋̀̆%̵̨̙̹̫̀͌ͅ(̵̧̖̭̰̲̽́ͅ#̴̺̰̊̓^̷̢̯̭̗̜͇̋̉̉͒Y̶̹̗̖͖̽ͅͅB̷̥̱̩̝͚́)̵͕̙̬̩̫̹̓̎͋̀̕͘K̷̛̦̜̺̈͌G̶̣̹͗(̶̺̿͝H̵͚̏͑̿͘J̶̦̈́͗̍̍͆̆#̵̧̫̈́̑̀͆̑Ṫ̸̼̳͂̈́̚^̶̻̹̥̗̖̄̈́̍T̷̨͓͖̥͛̑̈́J̴͉͔͌Ḩ̷̱͠*̴͇̬͈͕̇̐́(̶̣́̈Ṯ̸̤̍̀͝^̴̡͇̤͍̻́͘Y̴͍̥͙̓̐Ù̶̞̲͈̣̈́*̵̢̭͓̈́́P̶͔͇̰̦̲̹̆͂͛͗Q̸͕͍̠͈̏̇͝#̴͇͖̻̭̘̺̀̓%̴̛̤̾̀N̴̮͇̟̈̚̕(̶͙͈̭̘́͂͑̓M̸͍͇̳̆Ǹ̶͚̬̟͠)̵̙͉̔͑̈́̔͛%̸̙͍̳͖͉͔͂͐&̷̛̪̈́͂̄̏̓͜$̵̲͔̜̾͑^̷̣̺̭͓͑̀͌̓́̕ͅÍ̴̫̥̃̇̎U̶̩͇̘̝͙̠͋̇̚G̶̢̧̥̫͛Y̷̠̘̋̂̎̔͠#̴͓͇̞̬̼̙́̒R̸̨͖͐̅̀͌T̵̨͕̜̘̼̎͗̄ ̷̛̮̟͈̘̉̍^̴̡̡̱̤̇͂̒͜Ȗ̵̜̘͔͙̮̥̒͐̂̌̓̓J̵͕̩̈́͗̍͜ͅ%̸̗̬̀Ŷ̵͔̪Ų̶̠̬̓͑̑!̸̧̧̙̺͙͌̓͆̇͝?̸̙̝̹̝̊͆"̵̰͈͔̎̋

And, as he charged, Kancho let out a blood-curdling battlecry that would echo through a battlefield. His voice only grew more jagged as he ran, but he didn't appear to care or notice either; instead, it only seemed to get louder and unhinged.

Behind, the feline's gaze fixated on the boy's silhouette, dwindling into the distance, taking on a certain air of confidence before it returned to its usual aloof demeanor. It sat there motionless for a few moments, seemingly lost in thought, before beginning to groom itself with gentle licks of its paw. Despite the chaos it had inadvertently unleashed, the cat appeared unfazed and oblivious to the gravity of the situation. Its innocent eyes betrayed no hint of comprehension or remorse for what it had just brought upon the world.

The cat then moved toward Kancho's befallen hat, placing and wearing it on his back before moving in the direction of its owner; it seemed he had something it wanted to return.

"Meow!"

AUTHOR

Another day another chapter. By the way, I may be considering remaking chapters in the future; nothing too big story-based but stuff like grammar. Also, uh, hm, yeah, that's about it. FOR NOW. OH, AND I ALSO NOTICED I AM ON THE LEADERBOARD OF SHIT FOR FANFICTION IN THIS CHAINSAW MAN-THING! LET'S GET THEM REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, COMMENTS, ETC. I WANNA BE ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN BABY!